I feel as though this game started out strong, although the traffic desk was eh, but necessary for build up. The homicide desk was awesome, easily the highlight of the game for me. Things just got worse after like the 2nd or 3rd vice case when they tried to tie all sorts of shit together. Don't even get me started on the arson desk. I had heard before the games release that one or two cases were going to be related, which I figured would be cool, like "oh shit, this crime scene feels like a previous one". That feeling would be cool maybe once. They tried to tie too much stuff together after they put you on the vice desk, and it really turned me off from a game I had started off absolutely loving.  
 
Does anyone else feel the same way as me, or am I completely off base?

I enjoyed Vice and the first few cases of arson the most, but I thought things started to fall apart once the game had you playing as Kelso.
 
 
That being said, I did enjoy certain parts of the ending, especially Roy's eulogy at the end.

I felt the switch to Kelso was cool, but overplayed. I would have been much happier with a more refined hour or so with him rather than the belated portion that was served up. I also thought way too much tied together, especially on the homicide desk, to the point where those individual cases had less weight and uniqueness. I felt that the standalone cases - specifically those which had less overt gunplay/death etc - were the games strongest point, a good example being the first traffic case where Adrian Black attempts to fake his own death and the whole thing pans out as a bit of a pathetic fiasco for him.

I wasn't disappointed in the cases so much on an individual level, but the last section of the game--playing as Kelso--was a huge letdown. Here we've played most of the game as Phelps and then just when the action kicks in ... Kelso. I even liked Kelso as a character, but I didn't want to play as him. Story-wise, the game was a disappointment in the end. The final wrap-up made sense, in a way, but the execution was lousy. Way too much single-minded focus in the cases. We should have been given twice as many cases, most of which were off the main story path.
 
I think the biggest disappointment was how little they used the LA they built. Sure, they scatter around some collectibles to go hunt down, but there are parts of the city that are really cool locations and ... they go completely unused. That little section under the 7th Street Bridge, for instance. Put a case there! Instead all the homicides were basically out in parks on grass under trees. Blah. Yes, I know it was a serial killing and they all tend to look the same. All the more reason to expand the case list and include more diverse setups. When your partner is complaining about another husband killing his wife, I was thinking, "Yeah, I know what you mean." Another similar case.
 
Great structure, great mechanics, and even a few great cases. But not nearly enough. And not nearly enough opportunity to see and explore the city in a way that is integrated into the game. I liked the game quite a bit, but any sequel is going to have to expand the horizons a bit. For such a huge city area to explore, the game feels remarkably small.

I completely agree. Not just the vice desk tbh. Also after about finding the 50th match-folder with a bar name on it things got a little repetitive.  
 
It's a game i will look back upon as decent but an excellent starting point for a "new" genre and a game that set the bar for facial animations for years to come.

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I loved playing as Kelso.

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I loved playing as Kelso.

I just beat the game. Watching credits as I write this. I also enjoyed playing as Kelso. What disappointed me was how the game made it seem as he was the main star. This whole time we've been playing as Phelps, getting accustomed to being him, then they switch it up on us. Still, loved the game, with all the searching for clues and interrogations. The flashbacks of Phelps in the Marines. The ending is ok. Can't expect a happy ending. It is a Noire game after all.

I don't think you're off base at all OP. I would have preferred if the cases were more self contained. The main storyline just felt silly and arbitrary to me. Maybe there is a lot of pressure for games to have a beginning, middle, and end that are all intertwined by a story. But in the case (pun!) of L.A. Noire it just didn't feel necessary to me. I guess what I was really hoping for was something along the lines of Law & Order where the cases were more self contained and maybe there was some character progression along the way, but it wasn't the focus. Trying to connect everything together just made the entire storyline of L.A. Noire seem very fantastical to me.
 
Also, really didn't like Jack Kelso. He is just a generic good guy with no personality. Phelps is a flawed personality but that is what made him so entertaining and believable. What makes Kelso an interesting character?

My exact thoughts after just completing the game are all in here. Kelso is simply one cool as ice PI, and definitely appealed more as a lead character for a noir tale. But the gameplay surrounding wasn't all too amazing. The attempt at trying to build up a cohesive story that partnered up with multiple departments/cases also didn't nearly pan out as they were hoping. Cole's death was kinda terrible too. 
 
I've been one of the few that considers L.A Noire to be a little shallow within its gameplay conventions, but I've always fell back on its amazing singular stories within the cases, and during the middle part of Arson it just kinda lost me. Made me really miss the simpler times, with Stefan and Rusty.
 
Anywhoo I also personally loved Kelso's outfit. <3

Arson onwards was how the whole game should of been. 
The honest cop that tries to root out the corruption in the city but is being stone-walled by the establishment, so he turns to a private eye who can move outside of the eyes of the cops but also has his own problems with the mob. 
Instead we got 14 cases of jack and shit. 
 
Also would it of killed them to use this fucking face technology to have a good war of words with some of the guys at the top that were longer than three questions. 
I mean they missed a great chance of having the Irish cop being the Dahlia Murderer. Instead of a shitty shoot out we could of had a fucking awesome scene. 
 
I don't think I'm going to remember LA Noire for much other than reminding me that the Ace Attorney games are fucking awesome and they should make a new proper one of those.

@carlthenimrod: exactly like my thoughts. The main story was very weak to me, and I feel as though the cases and the story should have had much more separation. also, looking back on posts through these forums, I think the reason I appreciated the homicide desk was because I staggered my playing time. I did maybe one or two cases in a day, not really giving myself a chance to notice why it wasn't so great after all. maybe.. the only truly perfect playing experience was... the traffic desk :O

man, i want to write an intelligent response, but i'm tired and hungry, and this is like the 15th of these posts. 

Only the ending was disappointing, IMO.

The game did start out strong and was unique but got very boring, the ending was also terrible.
 
It's why it gets a 3 star for me. Great production values crippled by a lack of variety and somewhat outdated controls & gunplay.
 
Funnily enough they are the same issues I had with GTA IV and RDR. (despite not being developed by Team Bondi) 
 
Edit: Also, yes the technology with the faces is great, but my god the female characters look a bit weird with it.

Loved it till the transition from vice to arson,the slow grind to another disappointing end.